Cain is Toast!

In the past, I and many others gave him the benefit of doubt. The sexual harassment claims against him that were settled by the National Restaurant Association appeared frivolous at best. Sharon Bialek’s assertion was a “he said, she said” and appeared to be financially and politically motivated. However, Ginger White’s allegation that she carried on a13-year affair with Cain, backed up with records of telephone and text messages, is troubling. At best, it is a case of poor judgment on his part and there is no wiggle room in that.

Mr. Cain, in addition to his many business accomplishments, is an associate minister. I have been present when he delivered the devotion. This man knows the Word of God and the Word says that you are to avoid even the appearance of evil. Also, you are to flee situations that might lead you into temptation.

Like Mr. Cain, I have been married over 40 years. As a broadcaster, I traveled frequently. However, I did not make a habit of dining alone with a member of the opposite sex. While on the road, I ate in my room or with a group. On rare occasions, I have grabbed a quick bite with a colleague in a brightly lit restaurant but would go to the trouble of phoning my husband beforehand to tell him what I was doing and would phone him again when safely back in my room. That is just what you do if you take those admonitions in the Bible seriously!

To add insult to injury, Cain’s attorney, Lin Wood, lectured reporters telling them they had no right to ask his client about these allegations:

“This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace… this is not an accusation of an assault . . . Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults — a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public.

“No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life.”

Wood could not be more wrong!

We are talking about elevating this man to the highest office in the land. We can overlook Cane’s foreign policy lapses. No one person can be expect to know everything about every issue he or she will encounter as president. However, this is an office where only those people who have demonstrated the highest character and good judgment should apply.

No one has to get married. However, those who do, take a vow to remain faithful to a spouse. There is no greater commitment on earth. We, rightfully, put our commitment to our spouse and our family second only to our commitment to God. Now I ask you, would a person who cheats on his or her spouse be more or less likely to cheat on his or her country?

You know the answer to that. Yet we frequently make excuses for philanderers in public office because we bet the farm on them. They are our guy so we bury our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn’t matter.

It does matter!

It is ironic that much of Cain’s support has gone to the thrice-married Newt Gingrich. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes and to Gingrich’s credit he has been up front about his. However, most people learn from their mistakes and, if they are sincere, they don’t stay in a mistake or keep on making the same mistakes.

Gingrich cheated on, not one, but two wives. Furthermore, while married to wife number two, he carried on an affair with his present wife for five long years while Speaker of the House during the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

Little wonder that Gingrich ultimately was forced out of office by his own party!

We have had presidents who were known adulterers, but never a first lady. It could happen. There is no law against it but, right or wrong, we tend to put our first ladies on pedestals. Would the country accept such a first lady?

You can forget those dream debates. Obama would love to run against Newt Gingrich.

Make no mistake. There is no perfect candidate. Never has been; never will be. However, character and good judgment should be the very least we demand from a man or woman seeking the highest and most important office in our land.

If you reread the column, I said Cain was guilty of “bad judgement” by having a “close” friendship with this woman apart from his wife. Yes, I have many male friends but no close male friendships that would require this kind of attention that my husband would not know about. Also, my e-mails and text messages are always available to him.

Also, what about the comments by Cain’s lawyer? I included only a few of them. He said that a private sexual affair (cheating on one’s wife) is nobody’s business. It is if you are running for president because it speaks of one’s character. That lawyer is representing Cain and he did not repudiate those remarks.

I have never worried about Cain’s gaffs on foreign policy. That is something you can learn. For example, Mitt Romney has spent the better part of 10 years studying foreign policy. However, you want a president who has a proven record of making good decisions. I felt Cain had that kind of record. I now question that.

As for the Bible, that verse is often quoted as an excuse to look the other way and excuse bad behavior. Check out Eph 5:11.

Eph 5:11 – “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

I have done exactly that. Bearing false witness is a fruitless deed of darkness, and I have exposed it.

Don’t accuse me of looking the other way and excusing bad behavior. My exact quote was “I’m not a Cain supporter, but on this, I have his back **until some credible evidence is brought forth.**” There you go bearing false witness again. I WILL NOT looking the other way and I am NOT excusing it.

I, also, have been a Cain fan — for years. I have donated to his campaign. Read my previous columns on him under “Presidential Race.” I am not taking this woman’s word for anything. However, she produced a “blue dress,” in this case the phone records. All I accused Cain of is bad judgement in having this “close” relationship with a woman of dubious character. If I had been phoning and texting a man that often in order to “help” him, my husband would know all about it. The big plus that Cain had going for him is that he has demonstrated good judgement throughout his business career. That is why we could excuse all his obvious gaffs on foreign policy, etc. With good judgement, he could be expected to select capable men and women as advisers.

And what about the comments of his attorney? Did he repudiate them or fire him? I am deeply sadden by this. The point of my column is the very least we should expect of a candidate for president of the United States is that they demonstrate good judgement and good character.

I’m not sure we can truly know the truth about ANY candidate – only what the press wishes us to know.

What amazes me – WHY CAN’T THE REPUBLICAN PARTY COME UP WITH A KNOWN, QUALITY MAN OR WOMAN WHO CAN ACTUALLY WIN THE ELECTION?

MY TAKE: THE REPUBLICAN PARTY Doesn’t seem to be that different than the Democrats, nor able to perform to the needs of the country [debt reduction, budgets, closing borders and expelling illegals, and putting aside needless spending!]

Also, what about the big “Promise” the Republican’s ran on, during the last election…have they kept even one promise?

AMERICA WILL FAIL IF GOOD MEN DO NOTHING! WHERE THE HECK ARE THE GOOD MEN?????? [L.C. – One person tired of polictics as usual while our country is being flushed down the toilet!]

If Herman is unacceptable as well as Newt whom do you suggest? It would appear from the above subject article that all of the candidates, since you don’t name anyone, for the Republican Party fall below your standards of righteousness. This concerns me because what we end up doing is tearing each other apart and eating our own and end up reelecting our opponent. You said it yourself, “…there is no perfect candidate.” So let us stop believing a biased press that smears and assassinates our candidates with no evidence but only hearsay and, BTW, refuses to subject the opposition candidates to the same level of scrutiny. I want to see the phone records before I pass judgment, this is the standard, not hearsay, much less, from an adversarial press. We are electing politicians not church leadership. King David should have been stoned, according to law, after his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba but wasn’t, God extended to him grace and forgiveness. This has always been the “Achilles Heel” of our party, we impose a standard upon ourselves that only a few can meet and end up electing the person we seek to defeat; and the opposition beats us to death with the double standard! Frankly, I am very tired of this; if we can put aside our own self-righteousness and remember that “there is none righteous no not one” we actually might be able to win this election and do some good. We have a choice, relatively speaking, between someone who seeks to fundamentally change the identity of America for the worse or choose an imperfect person that seeks to renew traditional American ideals.

The two essential things we should have in a presidential candidate are good judgement and good character. Think about that. There is none who is righteous, no not one. We are saved by grace alone. However, if one stumbles, and repents, and is truly sorry he or she will “turn from wicked ways.”. You don’t continue in sin or keep making the same mistakes. I did not judge whether or not Herman Cain had an affair — and in my previous columns I have defended him (privately have donated to his campaign). I questioned his judgement and that was the big thing he had going for him. Never mind his gaffs. You want someone who will pick the best advisors and, when faced with difficult circumstances, will use good judgement. Newt is another matter. He fails the character test. At this point, I am saddened but could vote for any of the other candidates.

I agree with you that Mr. Cain made judgment errors. It’s possible for men to have good character and sub-standard judgment. That being said, if every loser I helped was bribed or blackmailed to say something bad about me, my list of accusers would be far longer than Mr. Cain’s. My drunk neighbor would do it now, for free.

It’s important to the GOP and to movement conservatives that candidates like Mr. Cain be encouraged to run. If his campaign is to fall from mainstream media hits, proven or otherwise, we should not pile on. We do not want other dynamic, leadership-oriented, self-made men to avoid participating in politics at all levels.

Mr. Cain may not meet the standards of a President but he certainly is suitable for many other offices and leadership positions. We want him to know he has friends who will support him and his enemies are all on the left.

He has done the conservative movement several great services:

1. Proven that the Tea Party is not racist
2. Proven that a self-made African American can have a welcoming home in the Republican party
3. Focused on ideas in a dynamic, solution-seeking way. We’re the party of ideas, they’re the party of “no”.
4. Opened the door for other leading businessmen to participate in politics

Isukusa has it right. We assassinate our own and elect very dubious characters from the left. That’s about as stupid as it gets. I choose not to judge on many personal matters, but simply choose the “outsider”, the most Reaganesque in terms of policy. This is a no-brainer, Newt Gingrich. While he was in Congress, he has always been the consummate outsider, radical conservative, yet not a Ron Paulian. A former “Cainer”, I now support Newt because of his non-mainstream Republican willingness to fight. George H.W. Bush’s endorsement of Romney and Romney’s dirty out-of-context adds tell the story of his character. Would you condone Romney’s cheap shots as good character while choosing to judge Newt on his indiscretions? I would hope not, but it appears to be so. This is a good place for that old “judge not that he be judged”. Again, we find the enemy and he is us. The GOP has been capitulating and adoring “the ruling class” for 75 years (see Angelo Codevilla’s article, “The Ruling Class”) – it is high time we elect fighters for true conservatism. Newt is this man. He has not the softness of Reagan, but he has the same ideas about America. Romney is George H. W. Bush, a rich kid who believes because he’s handsome and paid his dues, it’s his time – he’d sell out to a liberal judge or Congress any day of the week while Newt will work to impeach them! A Romney supporter the last time out after Fred Thompson bowed out, I simply cannot believe Newt is our best man when his behavior reminds me of McCain, Dole, Bob Michel and Ray Lahood, and I can’t believe those of you who can’t see through the history of Neville Chamberlain behavior in the Republican Party. Nuf said.